This is a scary time.
I have an anxiety disorder I've been dealing with my whole life, so let me tell you how I deal with anxiety. Note: I am not a behavioral health professional. This is just me, dude with anxiety.
First of all, it's ok to be scared. It's ok to be anxious. (1)
I have an anxiety disorder I've been dealing with my whole life, so let me tell you how I deal with anxiety. Note: I am not a behavioral health professional. This is just me, dude with anxiety.
First of all, it's ok to be scared. It's ok to be anxious. (1)
Fear and anxiety are normal human emotions. I find when I try to actively suppress anxiety it gets worse. So I observe it as it arrives. I watch it as it passes through. I acknowledge it, but I find ways not to obsess on it. (2)
And I try to do things that help me to refocus. This is where I give advice that seems prosaic but really does actually help.
Getting exercise helps.
Mindfulness and meditation help.
Getting enough sleep and eating right helps. (3)
Getting exercise helps.
Mindfulness and meditation help.
Getting enough sleep and eating right helps. (3)
Hugging your loved ones helps.
When my grandmother died when I was 10 my grandfather told me something important too. Sometimes its ok to cry. Feel that emotion. Get it out. (4)
When my grandmother died when I was 10 my grandfather told me something important too. Sometimes its ok to cry. Feel that emotion. Get it out. (4)
Side note on mindfulness and meditation: a lot of people think these things are dumb or don't know how to do them. I didn't use them for a long time. But they WORK. There are a ton of apps out there you can use to learn how. I use Headspace, but there are others. (5)
And it helps to stay active. Many of us will be teleworking. But when you have down time, take some time to play with your pets. Do some gardening. Get some housework done. Listen to some good music and rock out in your kitchen. (6)
What not to do: drinking will not help. Smoking will not help. Trust me, before I learned how to effectively deal with anxiety I was self-medicating at times with both and they make things worse, not better. (7)
(I still have had lapses with smoking, that's an ongoing fight, but pharmacies are still open and they sell the patch and the gum and anyway, corona is a lung disease and you want your lungs to be as healthy as possible if you get it) (8)
Finally I'll say that talking about my anxiety with others has been one of the most helpful things I've done. I've got an anxiety disorder and I'm Majority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates. So talking about it publicly was scary but it has helped. (9)
I talk about my anxiety with my fiance all the time. She gives me hugs. It feels better. It's will help you to talk about your anxiety and fear. Even if it's just to your dog or your houseplant. (10)
We are stronger than we think. You are stronger than you think. We will get through this difficult time. (fin)
